Strokinghislongmoustachescoveredwithdew，heseatedhimselfheavilyonthehorseandscreweduphiseyes，lookingintothedistance，asthoughhehadforgottensomethingorleftsomethingunsaid。Inthebluishdistancewherethefurthestvisiblehillockmeltedintothemistnothingwasstirring；theancientbarrows，oncewatch-moundsandtombs，whichrosehereandthereabovethehorizonandtheboundlesssteppehadasullenanddeath-likelook；therewasafeelingofendlesstimeandutterindifferencetomanintheirimmobilityandsilence；anotherthousandyearswouldpass，myriadsofmenwoulddie，whiletheywouldstillstandastheyhadstood，withnoregretforthedeadnorinterestintheliving，andnosoulwouldeverknowwhytheystoodthere，andwhatsecretofthesteppeswashiddenunderthem。
Therooksawakening，flewoneafteranotherinsilenceovertheearth。Nomeaningwastobeseeninthelanguidflightofthoselong-livedbirds，norinthemorningwhichisrepeatedpunctuallyeverytwenty-fourhours，norintheboundlessexpanseofthesteppe。
Theoverseersmiledandsaid:
“Whatspace，Lordhavemercyuponus！Youwouldhaveahunttofindtreasureinit！Here，“hewenton，droppinghisvoiceandmakingaseriousface，“heretherearetwotreasuresburiedforacertainty。Thegentrydon’tknowofthem，buttheoldpeasants，particularlythesoldiers，knowallaboutthem。Here，somewhereonthatridge[theoverseerpointedwithhiswhip]robbersonetimeattackedacaravanofgold；thegoldwasbeingtakenfromPetersburgtotheEmperorPeterwhowasbuildingafleetatthetimeatVoronezh。Therobberskilledthemenwiththecaravanandburiedthegold，butdidnotfinditagainafterwards。AnothertreasurewasburiedbyourCossacksoftheDon。Intheyear’12
theycarriedofflotsofplunderofallsortsfromtheFrench，goodsandgoldandsilver。Whentheyweregoinghomewardstheyheardonthewaythatthegovernmentwantedtotakeawayallthegoldandsilverfromthem。Ratherthangiveuptheirplunderlikethattothegovernmentfornothing，thebravefellowstookandburiedit，sothattheirchildren，anyway，mightgetit；butwheretheyburieditnooneknows。“